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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28332582">Love's Light Wings</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PumpkinPaella/pseuds/PumpkinPaella'>PumpkinPaella</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy Tactics</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Love Triangles, Marriage Proposal, Mid-Canon, POV Alternating</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:27:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,613</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28332582</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PumpkinPaella/pseuds/PumpkinPaella</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In the midst of a war, two young women grapple with the nature of their relationship with a certain dark-eyed knight.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ovelia Atkascha/Delita Heiral, Valmafra Lenade/Delita Heiral</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Love's Light Wings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ovelia’s assigned lady’s maid, a weary woman who had served the late Duchess Goltanna many years before, usually did not speak to Ovelia beyond what was strictly necessary, but she did ensure that the asserted sovereign of Ivalice was promptly in bed every night before the sun even fully went down. Despite officially being a queen in the eyes of the Southern Sky faction, few people in the castle ever paid her any heed beyond what basic etiquette required, and she was given the barest consideration even by the servants. But one man had proved himself different.   </p><p>An hour had passed, but she could not sleep, as said man had wormed his way into her every thought. Earlier that evening, he had taught her to whistle a blade of grass. His simple instruction quickly turned into tender declarations of devotion and protection, and it was then that she felt her heart burgeoning into a new life. His promises led to a startling realization of the endless possibilities before her, which frightened and thrilled her in equal measure.  </p><p>Whatever they had between them had been steadily blossoming for some time. She fondly remembered the brief kiss he gave her in the chapel ruins after he defended her from ninjas the week before. He had apologized profusely for his brazenness, they had walked back to the castle scarcely saying a word or looking at each other, and it was not mentioned again. Once she was alone in her chambers, however, she felt light and ecstatic and only slightly embarrassed at the occurrence. Their circumstances almost seemed like a fairy tale of sorts, and it captured her much-neglected fancy. When he taught her how to whistle in the castle courtyard, she would have gladly kissed him again, had his assistant not interrupted them and forced them to part ways for the sake of some war business. To her discomfiture, she knew the mage spent much time with Delita, and the thought of her possible effect on him troubled Ovelia greatly, for both her features and usual manner of dress were rather striking. </p><p>Thus, after some rumination, she decided could not bear to let another hour pass without seeing him again and understanding where she stood in his mind. She stumbled out of her bed and ineptly attempted to put on her day clothes in the dimness. When the task was finally accomplished, she opened her door to her bedroom, which led to a narrow hallway. In this hall, straight across from her bedchamber door, was the door to her small antechamber, which then led to the main hall. Lighting her candle from the lamp on the outside of her door, she traversed the cold, dark passages.   </p><p>The stony silence of Zeltennia’s castle keep at night unsettled her; even Orbonne had a less oppressive atmosphere. She knew Delita´s chambers were not far from her own, and quickly formulated a myriad of excuses in her head in case she should be so unfortunate as to knock on the wrong door. Her fears were allayed when she found a door, slightly ajar, bearing a sign engraved with the initials “D.H.” She rapped it with three rapid, light knocks and waited with bated breath. Delita slowly appeared, his handsome face slightly obscured by the sparse candlelight. He was not wearing his usual knightly attire, but britches and a white chemise, which made his bare form slightly visible. Ovelia blushed, and then saw that he was taken aback by her presence.  </p><p>“Ovelia? What brings you here? And at this hour?”   </p><p><em>Ovelia.</em> He had never said it to her before, and she felt enthralled to hear it. In the course of their acquaintance, he had addressed her coldly at first, with the usual “milady” and “princess.” Once they had become closer, he stopped using such formalities, simply addressing her as “you,” unadorned by any flowery titles. But hearing her own name gave her a sense of longed-for intimacy with this enigmatic knight.   </p><p>“Delita, please forgive my intrusion at such an hour,” she said in a hushed voice. “But I could think of no other time or place where we could speak in private and at such little risk of discovery. You did say that the chapel ruins are too dangerous to visit now, what with the attack by those Northern Sky ninjas, and--”  </p><p>“Is everything all right, princess? Do you need something?” He seemed genuinely concerned, which made her insides flutter even more rapidly.  </p><p>“No, no...I mean, yes, but--please let me come in and explain, Delita.”  </p><p>For the first time, Ovelia saw that he seemed unsure, which perplexed her. Delita seemed like the type of person to never be unsure of things. She also realized that she was entirely in his antechamber now, and the heavy doors behind her had closed on their own. She suddenly felt the weight of her intrusion and wondered if she should retreat, but longing to broach her purpose, she stepped forward. Setting aside her candle and taking a deep breath, her words tripped over themselves.  </p><p>“This may seem quite strange, but after you taught me to whistle with the blades of grass today, I have come to a rather surprising realization,” she said softly. “I have realized that my own, I can never be a true queen.” She looked down in shame. “I was raised with no knowledge of governance, and I know I would fail miserably.”  </p><p>“You will not, Ovelia.” his voice had emotion in it. “I promise you, you will not be alone in your endeavor.”  </p><p>“Indeed. But I need someone with determination and knowledge and might at my side…and that person might be you.”  </p><p>His face became unreadable.   </p><p>“Of course. I can assure you that I will always be at your service.” He took her hand and planted a brief kiss on it, causing her to turn crimson.  </p><p>“And...it is not only that, Delita.”  </p><p>“Oh, and what might it be?”   </p><p>She thought she saw a smile creep onto the corners of his mouth, but it was difficult to fully tell in the dim candlelight. This was encouragement enough for her to continue.  </p><p>“As reckless as it may be, I’ve decided I...I think I want to marry you,” she at last blurted out inelegantly. His jaw dropped, but he then took her hands in his, almost automatically. Scarcely able to contain herself, she continued, “I know this is <em>very</em> unconventional, to say the least, Delita, but why should it matter a whit? You are the only honest man I have ever known, the only man who has seen me for me. I know you are a commoner by birth, but your goodness and gentleness make you worthier of my hand than all the dukes and princes in the land.” Her cheeks suddenly felt very hot, and the frantic ardor that she had endeavored to keep carefully constrained started to rise to the surface. “And I must admit I have grown terribly fond of you these past months because of this.” She looked down at their intertwined hands, a tear streaming down her cheek. “I don’t know how or when it will be possible, but I want to know if it is something I can hope for.”  </p><p>“Ovelia...” Delita gently brushed her cheek with his hand. “You’ve rendered me speechless. I have felt the same for you.”  </p><p>He embraced her closely, their foreheads almost touching.  </p><p>“Together, you and I will bring Ivalice out of the darkness,” he said.  </p><p>“Yes,” she replied, her warm eyes looking up at him. “With you by my side, our kingdom will no longer be subject to the manipulations of nobles or the Church--”  </p><p>He suddenly kissed her profusely until her head spun in intoxication. When their lips at last parted, his dark eyes gazed down gently into hers.  </p><p>“But you must leave before anyone comes by. Imagine the scandal should the queen of Ivalice be found in my apartments at such a late hour, or even worse, that the subject of our conversation should be discovered!” he said.  </p><p>He was right; it was indeed rather improper of her to come into his apartments in the first place, let alone propose marriage. Before he opened the door, he looked at her again with an expression whose passion and resolution she could feel in her bones.  </p><p>“I will make this happen, Ovelia. You will see.” He kissed her again, and nodding silently, she turned to go, unsure if what had just transpired had been a delightful hallucination. Her reverie was interrupted by the sudden sight of a familiar woman at the antechamber´s entrance. Ovelia frowned.   </p><p>“Pardon me, Your Highness. I have some new developments pertaining to the war that I must discuss with Sir Hyral,” the woman said coolly.  </p><p>“Yes, of course. I was just about to retire. Good night,” Ovelia replied in her most cordial tone, sweeping past her with a regal bearing even Goltanna would surely have envied. Delita was hers without question now, and she clung to the trust she had in him as fervently as ever. </p><p>Once out of their sight, she tiptoed back to her chambers, and the billowing white sheets of her bed felt like a blissful cloud upon which she could dream of her deepest hopes, fears, and fancies. </p><p> </p><p>**************</p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <em>
      <strong>A few minutes</strong>
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    <em>
      <strong> earlier</strong>
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</p><p> </p><p>At nightfall, Valmafra made her way to his chambers. She knew he was expecting her; it had almost become a weekly custom, in fact. </p><p>She had not initially intended for things to get this far, but considering all the time they spent working together, it seemed perfectly reasonable, predictable even, that two attractive young people such as themselves would seek release from the war’s pressures with each other. Being a witch was all too convenient for these sorts of situations, she mused. Church doctrine be damned, her knowledge of the various herbs, suppositories, and sheaths useful for preventing unwanted outcomes gave her much greater liberty than most Ivalician women could enjoy. Moreover, she reckoned that her seduction of him could surely help her in her mission as a spy, so why not use everything circumstance had bestowed upon her to her advantage? Delita was certainly not hesitating to take advantage of every one of his circumstances, and she found this strangely attractive. In him, she saw none of the self-righteous airs so characteristic of her fellow Church underlings. It was all too evident to her that he had no more pious motives for his work with the Church than she did, and though this fact remained unspoken, she felt a sort of camaraderie over their shared irreverence. None of those sanctimonious Glabadosians were nearly as pleasing to the eye either! </p><p>To her surprise, however, she found the entrance to his apartments closed. She knew that when the door to his antechamber was slightly ajar at this hour that she had allowance to enter, but she was taken aback to see that its placement was not what she had expected on this particular day. Pressing her ear to the door, she recognized Delita’s voice, but there was also that of a woman. </p><p>
  <em>The princess? Why would she be his quarters when it is night? It is not very proper... </em>
</p><p>Despite her best efforts at gleaning bits of the conversation within, the thick oak doors prevented her from hearing anything but soft, indiscernible sounds. Sighing in frustration, she leaned against the wall. </p><p><em>Of course, one could point out that I’m here as well…and she could be here to discuss any number of matters.</em> </p><p>She pondered whether she should simply take them by surprise and attempt to open the door. What an embarrassment for them that would be! Earlier that evening, she had found them playing some children’s game with blades of grass in the courtyard, and it was obvious the princess was smitten with Delita. She supposed it was to the Church’s advantage for her to trust him so strongly. </p><p>
  <em>Perhaps it is thus better that I not interfere-- </em>
</p><p>Before she could fully make up her mind, the door suddenly opened, and Valmafra made a slight curtsy at the sight of Her Highness, who was clearly startled. </p><p>“Pardon me, Your Highness. I have some new developments pertaining to the war that I must discuss with Sir Hyral,” she said, keeping her tone as impersonal as she could. </p><p>“Yes, of course. I was just about to retire. Good night,” the princess said in a lofty manner. The girl certainly tried to play her part well. Once she was out of sight, Valmafra stepped into the antechamber unprompted and closed the door. </p><p>“You were speaking to the princess? What could she want?” she found herself almost demanding. </p><p>“Nothing of particular importance to you,” he said with a slight scowl. “And what brings you here at this most timely hour?”  </p><p>“Don’t play daft. You know why I’m here,” she said, undoing her highly-perched hair tie. “Let’s get on with it.” </p><p>And as they had done on several previous occasions, they left his antechamber and found themselves in his bed. From there, they went through the usual motions, but before they were entirely undressed, Delita looked down at her, and she saw that he had a rather uncomfortable look about him. Without another word, he stood up and started to put on his chemise again. </p><p>“Have you finally tired of my charms?” Valmafra asked in a carefully glib tone as she sat up half-naked. </p><p>“Don’t flatter yourself,” said Delita, his peevish countenance emerging again. “I’ve realized that I´m too tired for such things. You ought to leave now. It is getting late, and tomorrow we must rise early and continue making preparations for our departure to Besselat.” </p><p>“I’m no idiot. I know you’re fond of her, and she of you. I’ve known that for a while, actually,” she said flatly. </p><p>Delita raised an eyebrow. “And?” </p><p>“It does behoove us that she is on our side as much as possible, and I have thus allowed it without interfering.” She retrieved her clothes from the floor and began putting them back on. “It serves our purpose well enough that we have an infatuated instrument of a princess on our hands.” </p><p>Delita scoffed.” ’Allowed’ it!” </p><p>“I truly don’t care, Delita. Though your boldness quite becomes you, in my view, and it almost disappoints me to see it replaced by mawkish chivalry,” she said, permitting herself one final flirtation. </p><p>Delita was now fully dressed in his shirt and trousers again, and he walked toward the bedroom door. “Perhaps you should make love to that insipid astrologer instead,” Delita retorted. “The fool seems struck by you whenever he sees you.” He opened the door and motioned for her to go. </p><p>Valmafra rolled her eyes and followed him from the bedroom back to the antechamber, but she could not bear to leave his quarters without having the last word. </p><p>“It says much of you that you would play the romantic knight with one while playing couch quail with another.” </p><p>This seemed to hit her target nicely, as he did not reply. </p><p>“At any rate,” she continued, her blue eyes emanating their uttermost coldness, “if I suspected an actual plot to use your influence with Her Highness to cast away the Church’s authority, don’t doubt for a minute that it would leave me with very few choices on what to do.” </p><p>Feeling satisfied that she had fulfilled her churchly duty by giving him such a warning, she went back to her own rooms. However, she could not shake the feeling that she had entangled herself into an unwieldy web of both her and Delita’s making. </p>
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